New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-25
TORPEDO BOATS A FAILURE.
prsAsrRoUs END OF THE FRENCH NAVAL
MANCEUVRES.

,..ox Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
TIL. INJURIES of tho torpedo-boats during the French
x.ro, manruvres havo been numerous as 10
ob,iec the new Minister OF Marine, senator barney W
put an end to those operations. The ships conpo'
ino tho torpedo division are to 60 back 70 thor fe
srectivo bar5ols, and Admiral Brown 40 Soi7'o
resigns his command.
,s already stated. the plan OF the first operation
pas tho following: An iron-clld squadron was 70
,rotect a troops convoy from 1ouion pouhu :" I'
cicrs. AZ tho latter place the squadron was w "
nh some o. the troops OF the Algerian corps aiio
and bring them to Franco. torpedo ho,.ha vas "
attack tho convoy. TO destroy IL possible IL was
"rderal thai tho squadron and the troopshps should
40. t.a M moro than ten miles hour, all arrange
Yuent ye,y much be criticised, rs ruch an opei"oh
In wartime would be led with ships Oh seventeen
Knots In fact the evolutionary squadron ships
could easily steam thirteen knots but IT was aehno"F
edged that il such speed were allowed to tnem they
onh NOT bo oyertaken by the torpedo-bOats after
twenty -four hours at sea-
On May 10 the torpedo fotiils SGT out rom iouioh
and anchored the the next Gay at Alacelo, "hoio ~
prepared TO the attack. On May IA at a. III,
by q northwest gale the evolutionary squadron W,
Tonlon for Aicicrs. IL was blowing very haru ano
,ho sbps sailed before tho wind. The squadron was
formed in the following order In hrs' ihe anu w
tho same front three lookout ships the sea topc-o
boat Balny tho torpedo cruiser Conder anu .ho se"
tor edo Loat Dcrouede. tho condor al four CABLES from
fhs iue
laaeship vice-adsnraD and Amiral pupeTe fouo"oo,
,nen two supposed troop ships, tho Redoubtabie ana
tina Devastation flagship admiraD behind ana oc
tween tho ironciads; the CorDct and the hicheheu
on the track Of the Colbert and oil Inc Alnnul
puperrre and the supposed troop-shlps irioent ana
lndomnabh behind The tanks were covered Dy ,no
scouts Milan and Hirondelle, their station being kept
with great precision.
Duing It's stay at Ajaccio the gunboat Gaoriei
,,bar,nes toruodo boat OF Al meters provided WIN
a IA ccntin;eter gun and two new torpeao Doa's,
Nos 90 and 100. % meters and 90 tons had loheu
tho torpedo division, which was thus composer VI
{our cruisers and nineteen torpedo boats Inc NOS
On and 100 had taken the place OF two old torpedo
to,,s. Nos 20 and n, which had been damaged I'D
tho preparatory exercises.
The squadIons sailing from Toulon was csoieo "
the commander Of the torpedo hotiila, who order"
his boats to proceed 10 sea. But as already said,
she wind was blowing fresh from the northwest with
a heavy swell Nevertheless the ships iell A!accio'
bn after short struggle they obliged to come
back 10 the anchorage The torpedo boats DoroAu
do Lagrce and Gabriel Charnies were much aahaseu
aheir construction is 50 light as not 10 ailo" uon
to labor against the sea when stormy IN the mean
time Admiral leyIon steamed toward The SOUTH
Year the l,;i, are ISLANDS the wind FELL and on May
10 le cnIcrcd tho Algerian harbor de Mad lot seen
any torpedo boaSs. lho first part oil lio cSinpa'sn
was demonstrated that they could not Keep at sea
when menof-war steamed most easily; q, ,.a, ,,o
In AisIcrs the squadron was supposed W lalu tne
troops and take up three infantry regiments oonha of
home, IN operation which was to last sovTai %! :;
until slay ~ The torpedo notila had lett AlacclO
on May IL aud had sailed 70 tho Baiearic s.ahos ~
order TO survey the s3uaarons nt UTe9enss saed
ne mo.nas Of the aS Il seof ao5 % b 1Se t Ss
torpedo boats. The iIlars sent Oh toledo Doa5 70
Dig ships thought be ATTACKED at any molnch' put
no attack did take place during tne nisnt anu vu n
had only within sight Two torpeao poa's Inc so sbe
SluA
coast since It's departure from Agicrs, and was then
OF Phppeville. The Admiral then rounuen 10 VIC
north and sailed the coast of PROVENCE Inc neAt
morning at dawn Admiral Peyron was nor Ar ionI
Cannes, and coasting the ltoIal nc droppea aHonos
I'm the roads of Touion, having only seen TINS Gay
group OF torycdoboats 20 the southwest which Cared
not 10 attack him ,,, all, q.
commands successfully. On the 60 lad weather had
prevented the torpedo-bOats' movements On com
Ing back II was fine weather and WIN itue swell Wen,
ana tho turpedoboats OF 10 use. Some OF them
had bcan soroy damaged, and their chief would not
rfsk his aotlla in race. Besides, tne enumeration
inc these few days Is more eloquent than all words
Out Of sxtccn torpedo boats four are greatly damaged
Ave al important . s-r s sa5r and hV wac Of
no result. The ironclad cosstgusrd the Fulmnant
was baly damaged near Bret The tor1sdo'e boat
tanaged The Doudard do Lagrce, the Gabriel
Chsrmes and the No, es noed repairs: The two
notllss havo had in o few days more than half OF
their boats put out OF service.
1t is easy to draw conclusion The French TOR,
peioboate OF &c and 35 meters. and the English o.
3s meters only TO DO used for coast detenes ana
not for navigation All OF them are 100 ngn.S
S s91 Se tho tOrocSSoaf is ahp which Is not
TO be rcckorcd upon In rough weather BesMes, the
nsh torpcdocs havo often erratic tr1loctoIics when
tho torpc,lo-ioits. such il the conclusion to be
drawn from the recent oycrcisos. country which
TO- It's naval defence must not rely only upon